WHEN THE SOUNDS OF WAR HIT HOME

Editor -- My 18-month old son, like all other kids his age, likes to play with the knobs on our stereo system.

On the second day of the latest American bombing of Iraq, my husband and I waited to put him to sleep before we turned the TV on to listen to the news.

Since we were both born in Iraq, watching the bombing is both emotional and saddening. We did not want our son to see our concern and sadness. After putting him to sleep, I turned on the TV, which is hooked to the stereo system. Not knowing that our son had turned the volume all the way up, the house was thundering with the sound of bombs and anti-aircraft missiles.

The remote control dropped from my hand. My husband jumped in hysteria not knowing what had happened. It took me few seconds to find the remote control and turn the TV off. By then, our son woke up terrified. It took a while to calm him down and put him back to sleep.

Later that night, I thought about the Iraqi children who had to listen to this bombardment not for seconds but for hours.

ANGHAM ALJABIRY

Suisun

DEFEND THE PRESIDENCY

Editor -- We now have all the elements of a Greek tragedy -- a great man brought down by his fatal flaw.

But let's not abandon Clinton because of this flaw. We must defend the office of the president -- not the man.

A Supreme Court justice once said that the rights of all of us depend on the rights of some not very nice people.

NANCY WARD

Berkeley

CAMPBELL'S COURAGE

Editor -- I was so proud of Tom Campbell letting his conscience guide him instead of the masses as to his decision on the impeachment vote.

We need more men of this character in Washington!

VIRGINIA WENGER

Concord

A BAD INFLUENCE

Editor -- This "Impeach the Democrat" project put on by the Republican Party is an entire waste of time. It represents the influence of the Moral Majority on the GOP.

This will have ill effects on the GOP's chances of success in future elections. Voters aren't going to elect representatives that have self- righteous attitudes. It turns out the "Moral Majority" is actually in the minority.

MATT DURHAM

Arcata

THE LOST RIGHTS

Editor -- The Republican majority just do not get it. They cannot understand why the American people support the president with a 75 percent approval rating.

Could it be that the Republican majority has forgotten the very foundation of American liberty? The essence of our nation is the protection of the individual from government tyranny. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that the sole purpose of government is to protect man's rights. President Clinton's right to due process has been violated countless times.

The Repubicans, in their vengeance, have done everything possible to violate the basic human rights to which a man accused is entitled. The hearings of the House Judiciary Committee and the debates in Congress give evidence to this truth: The Congress is out of control.

The Repubicans are attempting to offset the will of the American people who twice elected William Jefferson Clinton. This Congress is no better than the renounced dictatorships of vintage World War II fame.

LIVINGSTON LESSONS

Editor -- At last Bob Livingston has given us the answer to the worrisome question: "What do we tell our children?"

It's simple! Just say, "It's all right to lie -- except when you're under oath and "Judge" Starr asks the questions. In fact, just plain lying will get you a standing ovation from Republicans -- unless, of course, you happen to be a Democrat!

THE HILLARY SOLUTION

Editor -- The only answer to this Republican madness is to elect Hillary as our next president and give the Clintons at least four more years in the White House.

BEN GROSS

Sebastopol

COMFORT TO SADDAM

Editor -- That House Republicans would impeach our Commander-in-Chief while this nation's military was engaging Saddam Hussein's forces gave new meaning to the term "Republican Guards."

RON RICHARDS

Los Angeles

NO 'WITCH HUNT'

Editor -- You know what angers me? The public calling the impeachment a "witch hunt" or a "coup" led by the Republicans. Let's think back to President Nixon's little problem with Watergate; the Democrats were at the forefront of Nixon's impeachment, much like the Republicans and Clinton today.

This recent episode is history repeating itself: our representatives doing their job to make sure our highest and most beloved official is not above the law. Why is there so much anti-Republican outcry? And why was there very little anti-Democrat sentiment in the '70s?

Americans wake up!

If Republicans are the embodiment of political evil, then so should be Democrats. In the end, both parties acted in self-interest. Wouldn't you?

TOSS THE POLLSTERS

Editor -- I have been confounded by the results of Mr. Clinton's various popularity polls until I found out that the responses were taken exclusively from the participants and audiences of the Jerry Springer show.

TURN THE TABLES

Editor -- If Bill Clinton were a Republican and had done everything exactly as he has, there would be no Ken Starr, and there would be no impeachment. And this is a fact of life in the Congress of Hypocrites.

M.H. PAGE

South San Francisco

BUCK NEVER STOPS

Editor -- The most visible and powerful man in the world did not have the mature judgment to refrain from sinking into a teenage locker room fantasy in my house and place of business. I keep wondering what "The Buck Stops Here" husband of Bess would say.

If you don't do the crime, you don't do the time, and I am paying for all that time.

To be president is a formidable job and should take undivided concentration and good judgment. With the weapons available and the unstable world we live in, good judgment is essential.

Civilization has built up from the animal kingdom painfully, law to law, as we try to teach our children how to get along with each other by following laws set down to promote the common good. The 10 Commandments, a good basis for living together and upon which to build other laws, could perhaps be listed by one out of 100 people.

Do we go up or down? Do we have laws that we all follow -- and upon which we build our judgment for the actions we take?

Do we give our children consistent high ideals to follow? Is law constructed in order to "word" oneself around the principle that law was laid down to protect?

What is an oath? What is it good for? What is law? What is it good for? What should laws mean for our children? What should we teach our children and why? Where are we going -- up or down? What is judgment? We didn't care and we chose what we got. We see the enemy, and it is us.

I am nonpolitical, but this mess disturbs me -- for the children. My granddaughter saw a picture of the president and asked, "Did he lie?"

She's had problems with the truth and is trying to figure out what lying is. But she's only six years old.

NANCY DANKER

Moraga

MISGUIDED REWARDS

Editor -- San Francisco schools are encouraged by extra funds to show discrimination and low academic performance.

If schools aim for poor performance and discrimination, then do minorities do worse at performing poorly? What a perverse form of affirmative action and education.